Eco-plastics derived from low-purity plant oil monomer and their sustainable recycling

Summary Biobased eco-plastics are an emerging class of sustainable materials. However, the synthesis of mechanically strong polymer materials usually needs high-purity monomers derived from biomass, which is not “green” during production. On the other hand, the recycling of plastics is highly desired for environmental protection. Here, we present a robust and facile strategy to design and prepare mechanically strong polyester amides (PEAs) from low-grade plant oils that can be treated as real eco-plastics. Low-grade C21 diacid (C21) derived from plant oils was chosen as the main monomer to synthesize mechanically strong PEAs via a one-pot condensation polymerization process. The resulting PEAs can be processed like thermoplastics. More importantly, the PEAs can undergo sustainable recycling, including physical recycling, hydro recycling, and composite recycling, without sacrificing their performance. The marriage of low monomer purity, thermoplastic-like behavior, and sustainable recycling can provide vital opportunities for developing novel eco-plastics to compete with traditional plastics.